Flocking of cotton and like fabrics



June 13, SQHIERS 2,351,265

FLOCKING 0F COTTON AND LIKE FABRICS Filed April 2, 1941 INVENTOR GLEN SEFTON HIERS ORNEY BYFMIZ Patented June 13, 1944 7 FLOCKING OF COTTON AND LIKE FABRICS Glen Sefton Hiers, Bala-Cynwyd, Pa", asslgnor to Collins & Aikman Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application April 2, 1941', Serial No. 386,427

. 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for flocking adhesiveiy coated base fabrics of cotton or materials having like electrical properties.

More particularly, these improvements are directed to the production of textile flocked fabrics the flock portion of which is composed of fibers cellulose acetate,- casein fibers, silk, viscose or blends of any or all of these fibers.

It has long been, known that'the beating or vibrating as by a motor driven polygonal bar of an adhesiveiy coated base fabric will cause .cut flock to form a pile face with an end of the pile formingflock embedded in the adhesive. The British patent to Cartolux No. 393.017 is merely illustrative of this general prior practice. Fabrics produced by beating alone are however somewhatdeflcient in pile face density and pile erectness.

It is further known to employ high voltage electrostatic forces in the flocking of adhesiveiy coated base fabrics, but high voltage forces appear incapable of adequately driving the fibers into the adhesive, with the result that pile fabrics 50 produced while having density of face coverage and erectness of pile have been characterized by unsatisfactory durability and wearing qualities. In addition, pile fabrics so produced may have an excessive pile face density which results in stiffness or boardiness and hence. lack of draping qualities desirable for some purposes.

Mechanical beater processes provide a superior anchorage of the flock fibers than high voltage electrostatic methods and are, of course, desirable for this reason. The investment in equipment and maintenance of beater mechanism is substantially less than for electrostatic devices involving high potential forces.

of deficient pile erectness and density above referred to. Such results can be obtained with a rapidly rotating motor driven steel bar in the known way. v a I I have found that a rapidly rotating steel bar beating the back of a cotton fabric of normal electrostatic charge measurable on' a gold leaf electroscope, but that if the fabric is substantially bone dry a measurable charge which will orient the pile forming fibers will be created.

A still, greater and more desirable charge is created if the fabric is dried as before and the bar or bars are covered with a solid dielectric material such as Lucite, hard rubber, Bakelite or Cellophane. Dielectric covered steel bars are shown in the drawing. The cotton base fabric is fed forwardly through the apparatus under tension and the adhesive is preferably relatively thick so that it will not penetrate to the back of the cloth. A steel bar covered with strips of Lu'cite secured as by screws or wrapped with Cellophane Scotch tape as a covering will produce a measurable charge on normal cotton.

An object of my invention is to provide a low potential electrostatic charge which will orient textile pile flock fibers being applied to a cotton or like base material. g Another obfect is to provide an apparatus for producing. an electrostatic charge by beating directly on the back of cotton base fabrics in pile flocking operations.

Another. object is to reduce the moisture content of cotton base fabrics to below normal and thereafter creating alow potential electrostatic charge by frictional means which will orient pile forming textile flock particles in a flocking operation.

Another object is to improve the pile density and erectness of cotton backed flocked pile fabrics produced by beater methods.

Another object is to produce by frictional endeposited upon an adhesiveiy coated cotton base fabric.

These and'other objects of invention will be manifest from a consideration of the following description, claims and the drawing.

The figure is a diagrammatic illustration of novelapparatus capable of carrying out my improved methods.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a base fabric ID of cotton or' like material fed from supply roll ll, passed between tension ad- Justing rolls l2 and i3 and over guideroll .ll

into drying chamber II where the normal molsture content of the fabric may be removed, leaving is substantially bone dry. Normal moisture content may be 7 to 10%, whereas the present improvement contemplates drying to approxiatmosphericmoisture wnient will not create an mat 1% 01 less y weight. The drying chamber maybe of any convenient type, and wire covered card clothing roll I. for feeding the convenientlybe located within The adhesively coated fabric is then passed.

beneath hopper 28 having screen bottom 29 and containing fiock fibers 30 which are pushed by rotating blade 3| through the screenand caused to drop upon the coated fabric positioned or passing continuously beneath. It is to be understood that the terms adhesive" and "adhesively coa as used above and in the claims refer to the coating prior in drying or other solidification.

The fabric is then passed over one or more polygonal bars which are rapidly rotated by. con-.- ventional means, such as an electrical motor .(not shown) and which beat the fabric and cause it to rapidly vibrate.- m the illustration, a series of three bars 32, 33 and Ilia depicted, but it will be understood that this number is merely illustrative and that any reasonable number, including a single bar, may be used. The bars ma be of steel or other metal, but are preferably surfaced with a material of good dielectric property such,

as hard rubber, Lucite, Bakelite, or Cellophane. asshownforbars and.

e first p ly onal bar or bars is or are preferably rotated in the direction in which the s fabric is moving, while the last bar or bars may be rotated in the opposite direction. All the bars rotation if desired. a

. base fabric. .The beater bars'are preferably dielectricallysuperiortocotton.

- may, howevenbe moved in the same direction of 4 slight incline. For example, the heaters may de- .sirabLv be arranged in crown formation, that is.

with. the center beater or heaters occupying a higher position than the forward and rearward ones, the forward and.cente'r heaters rotating in the direction of fabric movement and the rearward heaters rotating against the movement of illustrative of an arrangement I have found satisfactory and is not'intended .to be limiting in any way. g

During the beating operation the electrostatic field generated by the frictional engagement between the rapidly. rotating bars and the dry cotton base material causes the deposited fibers,

or crescent shaped, will not be caused to take on a straight upright position, but these fibers are ing the adhesive to the base fabric after it leaves l the fabric. This arrangement is. of course, merely a,ss1,aes

distributed and oriented to the extent permitted by their shape. These improvements are ane.- cially important in connection with the application of wool fiock to a cotton base fabric, because the mutual repulsion set up by electrostatic field will overcome to an importantdegree the tendency of curved wool flock to form small masses of fiock. This tendency to form masses is peculiar to wool which is serrated and curved and hence has felting properties.

After leaving the heaters, the fabric may be passed over guide roll 35 to heater 3 where the excess or unsecured fibers are beaten off to collecting tray 31. The fabric is then taken over guide rolls, 3!, ll, ti and 42 to steamchamber II, where the adhesive is vulcanized or set, after which the fabric is taken over guiderolis 44 and I to a roll-up device. If desired, finishing steps. such' as shearing and brushing, may be incorporated into the process after the adhesive is vulcanized or hardened. v

Prior beater methods include those in which a belt or apron is interposed between the beater bar or bar and the base fabric, as well as those in which the beating is directlyon the base fabric. The particular method depends on the nature of 1 the. materials used and the result desired. The present concept is directed primarily to the latter type in which a cotton or other base of like elec trical properties is used as a base fabric and the-beater bars are in contact with the Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In an apparatus for the production of fiocked fabrics, the combination of parts which includes means for feeding a base fabric through the device under tension, a drier device through which the base fabric may be fed, a blade for applying drying unit, means for distributing plie'fiock onto the base fabric, and a dielectric beater bar posi- 7 tioned to contact the base fabric on its reverse side.

2. Inan apparatus for the production of fiocked fabrics. the combination of parts which includes means for feeding a base fabric through the device under tension, a drier device through which the base fabric may be fed, a blade for apply- ,the drying unit, means for distributing pile fiock onto the base fabric, a dielectric beater bar positioned to contact the base fabric on its reverse sigle and means for removing unsecured fiock parti es.

3.- In an apparatus for the production of fiocked fabrics, the combination of parts which includes means for feeding a base fabric through the de- -vice'under tension, a drier device through which the base fabric may be fed, means for applying the adhesive tothebase fabric after it leaves the drying unit, means for distributing pile fiock onto the base fabric, a dielectric beater bar positioned to contact the base fabric on its reverse side and M a vulcanizing or an adhesive setting unit posithe adhesive to the base fabric after it leaves the 

